Marriage is overrated: Eijaz Khan

By Almas Mirza

After wooing millions of hearts through his striking portrayal of a Punjabi boy in blockbuster ‘Tanu Weds Manu,’ Eijaz Khan is all set to don the attire of a rustic boy from Uttar Pradesh in Sony TV’s upcoming show, Shubh Vivaah. The actor who admits to be smitten by Kareena Kapoor, in an interview with india.com, discloses his take on institution of marriage, his ‘Balaji connection,’ his aspirations and more.

Your show ‘Shubh Vivaah’ is all about marriage. What are your thoughts about the institution of marriage?

I am not married yet, that should give you half the answer. I think marriage is overrated in India. I don’t think marriage is the beginning or end of anyone’s life. I have not set any milestone in my life that I should get married by an age. Right now I am focusing on things I like, not on marriage.

What do your folks think about your views on getting married?

My folks are damn cool. Dad doesn’t bother about it, he’s more like my friend. Since Mom passed away, Dad brought us up being our friend (me and my brother).

You seem to have been on a sabbatical.

I was in a dharamshala for three months, I went about soul-searching. There were many questions in life. I think acting blurs the lines and doing so many characters at a point we fail to understand what we actually are. I realized, earlier it was difficult for me to face self, I lied a lot to self. In the course,I didn’t get all answers, but I definitely got a path.

How do you think the sojourn at dharamshala has helped you?

I became a better person, I stopped lying to self. I could digest lots of things and I am not attached to things anymore. Earlier I was obsessed with branded clothes and latest gadgets. It was a journey and I believe it happened at the right time. The best part is that the negativities got eliminated and that helped open up new channels in my life.

Do you think there is a lot of crap on television these days?

Let’s not call it crap. People like to see this kind of drama, hence such shows are made. As the audience’s taste evolves, we will cater to it. Today, Ekta Kapoor is called the Czarina of television industry. Do you think Ekta is all about daily soaps and saas-bahu dramas? No. In fact she is very intelligent, smart and well-read personality. It’s only the audience’s taste that sets the trend.

You’ve worked with Balaji at few stints. Any offers in the pipeline?

At the moment there’s nothing. But I am still in touch with Ekta. Rather, Balaji is home ground for me. I’ve worked with the best people at Balaji. While working for Kavyanjali, it felt as if I am working in an army – non-stop and sleepless. If Ekta has anything for me, I’ll immediately take it.

You moved from television to Bollywood, and now back to television. Do you think you didn’t click in films?

Tanu Weds Manu was one of the biggest grossers last year. So, I would like to believe I have clicked in films. Getting back to television was my choice. Somewhere I thought I was alienating my primary audience. I wanted to reconnect with them with a new start. In television, every day is Friday. You have to be super-efficient.

Any films in the pipeline?

You will be seeing me in films. Something good is coming very soon. We are still in talks and they are very positive.